“…the student who has successfully undertaken an independent piece of work, however limited the subject, finds himself the equal of his teacher; he will have tested the evidence at its source rather than in its textbook residue, and he will therefore have some vantage point, more substantial than that of mere opinionization, from which to criticize the secondary works he is given.”[1]

Renowned sociologist and cultural theorist Stuart Hall described Rapael Samuel as “a socialist of deep and complex persuasion, a passionate, creative and innovative social historian, and a man of unique personal qualities and distinction of mind and spirit.”[2]

Raphael Samuel was a historian, writer, teacher, and founder of the History Workshop at Ruskin College, Oxford, England in 1967. The History Workshop and Samuel’s “history from below” or “people’s history” approach to research and presentation grew in popularity throughout the late 1960’s and 70’s and became the dominant model for historians on the radical left around the world. By the mid 1970’s, the workshop’s popularity spawned the History Workshop Movement. Samuel’s curriculum encouraged Workshop students to publish DIY pamphlets that accompanied their work, eventually leading to the first issue of the History Workshop Journal in 1976.[3]

Education: Balliol College, Oxford 1952-56

Employment: Editor, Universities and Left Review / New Left Review, 1958-?

Professor of History, Ruskin College, Oxford 1960-1996

Professor of History, Oxford University, Oxford 1962-1996

Selected Projects and Publications:Past and Present: A Journal of Radical History 1952

The History Workshop 1967-1996

History Workshop Journal 1976-96http://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/ The History Workshop Journal (HWJ) began as a series of pamphlets in 1970 as a result of Raphael Samuel’s emphasis on the importance of publishing the research in which workshop students engaged. By 1976 the History Workshop Movement grew in popularity and HWJ became a platform for sharing people’s history projects from around the globe. For more than four decades HWJ has provided unique takes on local histories and cultures. Each issue is a carefully curated collection of carefully researched narratives of topics ranging from, slang used by railway workers, children’s led strikes, nomadic cultures, 18th century circus workers, socialism, sexuality, ecology, and more.[4]

Partisan Café, 7 Carlisle Street, Soho district, London 1958-1962 Raphael Samuel worked tirelessly to bring the struggles of working class life to the forefront of the conversation. When he wasn’t writing, publishing, or guiding students and workers through grassroots research endeavors, he was organizing debates, parties, and social venues. One of his better known endeavors was the Partisan Café in London’s Soho district. The Partisan was a radical venue for New Left film screenings, talks, concerts, and debates. Samuel meticulously curated every detail. In the words of co-founder and collaborator, Stuart Hall:

• Village Life and Labour (1975) • Miners, Quarrymen and Saltworkers (1977) • People's History and Socialist Theory (1981) • East End Underworld (1981) • Culture, Ideology and Politics (1983) • Theatres of the Left: 1880–1935 (1985) •The Lost World of Communism (1986) • The Enemy Within: The Miners' Strike of 1984 (1987) •Patriotism: The Making and Unmaking of British National Identity (1989) • Patriotism (Volume 2): Minorities and Outsiders (1989) • The Myths We Live By (1990) • Theatres of Memory: Volume 1: Past and Present in Contemporary Culture (1996) • Theatres of Memory: Volume 2: Island Stories: Unravelling Britain (1997) • The Lost World of British Communism (2006)

WHAT ARE CURATOR CARDS?

These Curator Cards began in Maryland Institute College of Art's inaugural Curatorial Practice MFA as a project for Interdisciplinary Approaches to Curatorial Practice (IACP) taught by Marcus Civin. This class focuses on revealing the history of curatorial practice by analyzing influential curators and exhibitions. The curator cards continue...

Together, a mix of students choose curators that spark their interest and create Curator Cards based on their research.

Please note that all of this information is strictly for educational purposes. If there are any additions, comments or concerns please contact us.